Legend of Fei

31. A Thousand Imperial Gold

He was quicker.

"Stand down." Madam called but he was already before her by then.

"Feifei?" the immdiately motioned towards the carriage and he laid down A'Fei.

Madam took her wrist and looked at him in alarm, "Feng Feihui?"

He nodded and pushed A'Fei's hair away from her face.

"Greetings Madam," A'Fei whispered. Her senses were clearly dulled.

"How did it happen?"

"There was some sort of drug in his sword," Xie Yun pointed at A'Fei's shoulder.

"I will see to her." he nodded and stepped away, letting the women surround his wife. This was the first time he had lost sight of A'Fei. The first time he knew she'd be safe even if he couldn't see her.

He slowly walked over to their horse, retrieved a pair of clothes for his wife, the only one she seemed to have left and tended to the horse. It wasn't before nightfall that the circle of women broke.

Madam looked visibly shaken and ill. He suspected she had fixed her unstable qi just like before. He looked at A'Fei. Though she was still sleeping, color had returned to her face. Madam called him forward and he settle besides A'Fei. They had changed her, cleaned her wound, patched her and stabilized her

"She needs to rest." He nodded at Madam's statement.

"We are heading back to Nanqing. Would you like to come along?"

He shook his head, "We are headed to Henyang."

"Master Jin and Chief Xu said you were heading to Penglai. It seemed like you wanted to convert Feng Feihui's wife to your side. What happened?"

"We were but she was injured and only Madam had the resources to help her." Madam nodded in understanding. Her eyes shifted to the blades on his back and he couldn't help smiling.

"Two are A'Fei's and one is mine."

"I didn't know Qian Suiyou dealt in blades."

"It was a gift." he bowed slightly. He wasn't a blade sort of person but it made A'Fei feel reassured so he had taken to carrying it around. It had come in handy last time.

"A pair." she concluded. With their similar white sheaths, it was easier to see. They even stood in contrast to A'Fei black YouHuang. He didn't reaffirm it.

"Last time you brought her to me. It was about the Ocean's Sky. What is it this time about?"

"Wither Bloom." Madam nodded in understanding. She had the vast knowledge of martial arts to make the connection why Feng Feihui wanted A'Fei. They sat in compatible silence as the other women busied in dinner preparations.

Once they were alone and out of earshot, he asked, "don't you want to see it?"

"Eyes are everywhere." Madam shook her head lightly with a smile, "but I haven't seen a single art of Qian Suiyou. Next time, I do not want a song, I want a piece."

He nodded, never betraying any other emotion than gratitude. When dinner came to them again, Madam asked, "Will you be going back to Penglai?"

Xie Yun looked at the woman serving them, gave a small nod and a smooth white lie.

"That is the only route that makes sense. We will have to face White Tiger sooner or later. Better now that A'Fei has recovered and he is still injured than later when he is at his full potential."

Madam only smiled in understanding without a word. The woman serving them, lingered a bit longer before she drifted away.

"Do not eat." Madam cautioned him and he only nodded with a smile. He knew what was going on. There was an imposter planted here as well.